NEW DELHI: A Namibian Cheetah named Aasha has given birth to three cubs in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh taking their total number in India to 18. The new additions follow a series of blows in efforts to reintroduce the species to the country after 70 years of its extinction.
Deaths of six adult cheetahs and three cubs last year came as a serious blow to cheetah’s conservationists. India was left with only 15 cheetahs, including 14 adults and one survived cub, in the forest till end of 2023. According to officials, the New Year has brought three new members to the cheetah family indicating that India’s cheetah conservation process has began to yield results.
Sharing the good news, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav released a small video and a photograph of three new-born cubs on social media platform X and congratulated all experts involved in the project, the Kuno wildlife officials, and wildlife enthusiasts across India.
“Purrs in the wild! Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members. The cubs have been born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha,” Yadav said in a post on X. He also recognised the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of Project Cheetah to restore ecological balance.
Notably, three cheetah cubs born in March 2023 to a female Namibian cheetah, named ‘Jwala’, died in a sweltering heatwave in May, 2023. The cheetahs were relocated last year to India from Africa as part of a reintroduction effort.
Cheetah was formally declared extinct from India in 1952. According to wildlife research organisation Bombay Natural History Society, the last three cheetahs were killed in 1947 by the king of Koriya, a princely state of Central India. The main reasons for the decline of grassland species were large scale capture of animals from the wild for coursing, bounty and sport hunting, extensive habitat conversion along with consequent decline in prey base.
India re-introduced cheetahs on 17 September 2022, bringing eight of the big cats (five female and three male cheetahs). In February 2023, India brought another batch of 12 cheetahs from South Africa.
Cheetahs declared extinct from India in 1952
Notably, three cheetah cubs born in March 2023 to a female Namibian cheetah, named ‘Jwala’, died in a sweltering heatwave in May, 2023. Cheetah was formally declared extinct from India in 1952. According to wildlife research organisation Bombay Natural History Society, the last three cheetahs were killed in 1947 by the king of Koriya, a princely state of Central India. The main reasons for the decline were large scale capture of animals from the wild for coursing, bounty and sport hunting, consequent decline in prey base.